Kevin Garnett put Anthony Davis on notice this time last month, saying he would be watching AD closely to see if he could lead the Lakers to success without an injured LeBron James.
Since then, Davis has averaged 26.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game on 58.8 percent shooting.
But more importantly, the Lakers have gone 11-4 since Garnett’s challenge, and the former Celtics champion didn’t run from his earlier comments. In fact, he acknowledged them and gave Davis some well deserved credit.
The Lakers are 11-4 since KG called out Anthony Davis.
AD has been on a tear averaging 26.9 PPG, 12.4 RPG, and 3.1 APG in their last 15 games.
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“Anthony Davis, if you can hear this, this is what I’m talking about,” Garnett said Friday on Showtime’s KD Certified.
“How you’re playing right now, second and third effort, offensive rebounding, being a f–king beast, being a dominant big man, this is what I wanted. This is how I wanted you to start the year.”
The Lakers can now finish no lower than that tenth, which assures them a spot in the play-in tournament at the very least.
There is also a remote possibility that they could avoid the play-in and head straight to the playoffs.
You can see all the Lakers’ playoff scenarios here.